"And that's a wrap on episode 5," Jordan announced to his audience of one black cat after pressing the Publish button. He'd spent the last three days narrating, editing, and re-editing the interview with Christin.

Kiki didn't react to this exciting announcement. In fact, she seemed wholly uninterested in what Jordan was up to and more interested in using her paw as a cleaning cloth for her face. To truly rub in how little she cared about what Jordan was doing, she ended the washing routine with a big yawn.

Jordan keenly observed the cat on the bed, looking for signs of her feline nature merely being a disguise. Ever since his conversation with Christine, he'd been trying to figure Kiki out. Was she Araminta? Was she a ghost? Was she a creature from beyond the veil of another world? But his conclusion so far was that Kiki was a cat. A very catty cat. She purred like a cat, meowed like a cat, and misbehaved like a cat.

Still, the notion of there being something peculiar with Kiki wouldn't leave him. Even if cats by nature were a peculiar breed.

Having accomplished the task he'd set for himself, Jordan glanced at the laptop clock. Three p.m. So not yet time for dinner. Which was a pity since Jordan was starving. Time always seemed to disappear on him while he worked on an episode, making him forget that his body needed nutrition to function. Luckily, his mom had placed a plate of pancakes on his desk, prompting him to eat, before leaving for work that morning, but he hadn't ingested anything since then.

Leaving his podcasting cave to hunt for food, Jordan strolled down the stairs with Kiki in tow.

"There are pizza pockets in the freezer if you're hungry." Surprised by the voice—because he'd figured he was alone in the house—Jordan spun to face his brother, Chase, lounging on the couch with a piece of the aforementioned hot snack in one hand and a game controller in the other. The thirteen-year-old must have arrived home quietly while Jordan was knee-deep in narration and frustration.

"Thanks for the tip," Jordan replied, setting off for the kitchen to find a pepperoni and cheese-filled treat. Having waited an annoyingly long time while the pizza pocket heated in the microwave—during which he was eagerly prompted by a certain black cat to fill her not-remotely-empty food bowl—he wandered back into the living room, invigorated by the mere promise of processed fat and excessive salt.

"What are you playing?" he asked, sitting down beside his brother on the couch. Kiki jumped up beside him and Jordan was forced to hold his pizza pocket up high as she aimed for it with her tongue. Apparently, the filled food bowl had done nothing to quench the cat's appetite.

"Zombie Road Rage 7," Chase muttered, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Oh cool," Jordan replied. "I've only played the earlier version but it's a fun game."

Silence fell between the brothers as Chase jumped out of the vehicle on screen to take out a few zombies. Blood splatter and brain matter spilled across the screen.

"Do you... uh... want to play?" Chase asked with all the eloquence of a teenage boy. "Together, I mean." Perhaps he'd realized there wouldn't be any quiet gaming time with his older brother around, or he was just unsure of whether Jordan actually wanted to hang with him since he hadn't made much time for his younger siblings during his recent stay in the family home.

Despite having so many siblings, Araminta had been alone. Jordan couldn't change that. But he could ensure that his own brother didn't feel neglected.

"Sure!" Jordan exclaimed, putting his plate on the table to grab the other controller. The pizza pocket needed to cool a bit before being ingestible anyway. "Let's slay these zombies!" He felt a bit like Derek in his exuberant enthusiasm. But being Derek was not a bad thing.

"Uh... Jordan." Chase alerted his brother by pulling on his sleeve. "Kiki is licking your pizza pocket."

Having made the grave mistake of putting a delicious snack within feline reach, Jordan turned to shoo the cat away. But he was too slow. Kiki had already snatched the whole treat, setting off with it in her mouth like a panther having just hunted down a coveted prey.

"I'll deal with that later," Jordan sighed, watching Kiki crawl under their dad's recliner with her loot.

"Just do it before mom gets home," Chase replied. "She's always on me about leaving scraps on the table, so I don't think she'll like them on the floor either."

Jordan nodded, eager to get into the game with his brother while ignoring that his stomach still growled. He would have to get another pizza pocket soon, and then protect it with his life. Letting his muscle memory take over, Jordan eased into the flow of the game, executing perfect headshots on the undead while Chase navigated their vehicle through a post-apocalyptic landscape.

A buzz from Jordan's phone cut through the splatter of zombie guts. He signaled to his brother to pause the game so he could see who was calling. Probably just an annoying telemarketer.

But the screen read "Derek Chao". Jordan's heart took a brief pause from beating while he stared in disbelief at the screen. Usually, Derek and Jordan only texted or talked online so for his classmate to call, there had to be a specific reason.

"Hello?" Jordan answered because that was probably how he usually answered phone calls. He couldn't remember, partly because he avoided talking on the phone if possible and partly because his mind was blank.

"Jordy!" Derek, ever the positive presence, replied on the other end. "I had to get a hold of you right away. I found something regarding your case, something super amazing!"

Derek certainly wasn't shy with hyperboles. He was basically a walking hyperbole himself.

"What did you find?" Jordan asked, curiosity winning out over discomfort.

"I found Jane. The girl from the 1940s. The one who found Esmeralda and Araminta."

"You found another mention of her in the archives?"

"No, I actually found her. Like alive and well. And she lives not far from you. I took the liberty to call her daughter earlier and she said we could come by and see her."

"When?"

"Now! I'm actually in my car right now, so I'll be there in an hour or so. I figured we could go there together... since I talked to her already I mean. And I don't want to miss the conclusion to this mystery. And I do have a car."

Derek apparently already had all the arguments for why he needed to come along prepared. Little did he know that Jordan hadn't planned to protest his inclusion. In fact, he welcomed it. It would be nice to not have to do everything by himself for once. And Derek's presence was always a welcome injection of positivity.

"But... I haven't even prepared. I don't know what to ask."

"You'll figure it out. You're so good at interviewing anyway. And I can back you up! I'll tell you all the information I have on her during the car ride."

"Alright," Jordan conceded, realizing there was no arguing with Derek. An opportunity to talk to Jane was too good to miss out on anyway. "See you in a bit then. I'll text you the street address."

Jordan hung up, blown away by Hurricane Derek. He supposed he should get his podcast equipment ready and perhaps prepare some questions for Jane.

"Was that a girl?" asked Chase next to him.

"No..." Jordan mumbled, picking up the controller to continue the game. Derek wouldn't be here for another hour, so he should be able to finish the game with his brother and fetch another pizza pocket before then. "It was my friend from school. Why do you ask?"

Chase shrugged. "You just had a silly grin on your face when you answered. Kind of like how Darcy looks when she talks about her beloved K-pop stars."

Jordan just shrugged in reply while a storm of jittery butterflies took flight in his belly. He wasn't quite sure if they flapped because he was nervous about the coming interview or because he was excited about meeting up with Derek. Perhaps it was a mix of both.